Valverde's plans for Iniesta and Busquets ahead of El Clásico
Iniesta has recovered from his most recent injury but needs to be looked after and Busquets is at risk of being suspended if he is booked against Depor.
Barcelona have just 10 days to go before El Clásico and despite a trip to play Deportivo la Coruña, and not discounting that, attention is slowly moving towards the biggest game of the year. Ernesto Valverde has already activated his plans for that game on the 23rd of December.
Samuel Umtiti has been ruled out but two players that need particular attention in training and regarding the Depor game are Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta. The captain, Iniesta, who is also expected to speak before the media on Wednesday has recovered from the muscle injury that he suffered against Celta Vigo and kept him out of the Villarreal game and will play from the start against Depor. He will not play the 90 minutes, however, to ensure he is fresh and ready for the Real Madrid clash.
Busquets, who has been booked four times this season after being shown a yellow card against Villarreal, is also in a tricky situation. If he plays, he will have to walk a tightrope to avoid a yellow and if he is withheld, he will arrive into El Clásico without a game in 15 days. A difficult decision for Valverde. Meanwhile, Dembele has rejoined his teammates in training but it seems the game against Zidane's men will come too soon for the Frenchman.
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